Kotu sits between Kololi to the north and Tanji to the south — ten minutes' walk from the strip, but a good deal quieter. The beach is wide and palm-backed. What birders single it out for, though, is Kotu Stream: a shallow creek draining through coastal scrub into the sea, with one of the densest bird counts in West Africa. You can follow a guide along it at dawn and still be in a sun lounger with a cold Flag by 11.
Kotu Stream
It isn't much to look at — a weed-choked channel through a fringe of trees — but the list runs past 200 species, and on a good morning before 8am you'll see dozens without trying.
Long-tailed cormorants drying their wings over the water. Malachite kingfishers, electric blue and orange, hovering above the creek. Pied kingfishers plunge-diving the shallows. African green pigeons in the fig trees, Senegal parrots crossing overhead in screeching pairs, western reef egrets on the rocks at the stream mouth.
Guided walks: The Bakotu Hotel, right beside the stream, runs walks with resident naturalists — usually D300–500 per person (£4–7) for two or three hours, non-guests welcome. Start by 6:30am; activity drops sharply after 9 as the heat builds.
On your own: You don't need a guide. Follow the track on the south bank westward from the beach — about 1.5 km through gardens and scrub before it peters out. Bring binoculars. The stretch behind the Bakotu garden is reliably the best.
Kotu Beach
The beach runs about 2 km from the stream mouth to the rocky headland near Kololi. It's wider than most on the strip, and the surf is gentler than Sanyang further south — fine for swimming, with the usual care.
Facilities: A few beach bars run November to April, doing grilled barracuda, chips and cold drinks for D150–250 (£2–3). Paradise Bar at the north end and New Moon Bar mid-beach are the established ones. Loungers D50–100 a day.
Vendors: There are vendors and bumsters (unofficial beach guides), but fewer and less pushy than on Kololi. A clear, polite "no thanks" does it. For crafts or batik, the stalls at the back of the beach beat the beach traders — fixed prices, no pressure.
Swimming: Safe at low tide. Rip currents can form near the stream mouth, so don't swim straight at the channel outlet. The lifeguarded stretch is in front of the main hotels.
Where to stay
Bakotu Hotel is the birders' choice — its garden backs onto the stream and the resident guides are among the best in the country. Three-star, from around £55/night B&B, with a pool that's a good place to wind down after an early start.
Kombo Beach Hotel, a larger all-inclusive a few minutes south, is more social and sits right on the beach. Good for families.
Kotu Beach Apartments and a scatter of guesthouses in the streets behind the beach do self-catering from £25–35/night — handy for longer stays.
Where to eat
Ali Baba (on the beach) is the local favourite — no-frills Gambian cooking. Order the benachin (rice and fish) or grilled barracuda. Well below hotel-restaurant prices.
Luigi's is Italian-owned, with dependable pasta and pizza five minutes from the beach — useful when you've had enough fish.
Kotu Market, on the road behind the beach, sells fruit, bread and street food, with excellent fresh juice in the morning for D30–50 (40–70p).
Getting there
From Kololi: 15-minute walk south along the beach, or a short green-taxi hop (D50–80 / 60p–£1).
From the airport: 25–35 minutes by taxi; fixed rates run about D750–1,000 (£9–13) for the car. Agree it before you set off.
From Banjul: Bush taxi from Serrekunda towards the coast (D25), then a short walk or local taxi.
When to go
November–March: Dry, sunny, 28–32°C, with European migrants on top of the residents. Best birding is November to February. Hotels fill — book ahead.
October, April: Quieter, 15–20% cheaper, still excellent for birds.
June–September: The stream runs fuller, the scrub turns green and residents breed. Not one for sun-seekers, but rewarding if you're serious about birds.